Drumsing
Austrian duo performing with only percussion and vocals.
Drumsing is an Austrian duo, formed in Linz in 2008, consisting of Andrew Edge and Josef "Judy" Klausner. Their music relies solely on percussion and vocals, with no other instruments. The pair spent two years writing and recording their debut CD, which came out in Austria in 2011.
Edge, originally from Leeds, England, played in local bands before moving to London in the late 1970s to join the Thompson Twins. After a year, he left for Uropa Lula, which released three singles on Arista Records and supported Big Country on a UK tour. He later joined Savage Progress, supporting the Thompson Twins on a 1984 British tour and then touring Germany, Switzerland, and Austria that same year. Edge relocated to Linz in the late 1980s, forming YOYO and signing with EMI in Vienna. He then worked for three years with Robert Ponger, former producer of Falco, though only two of twelve demo songs were used for Edge’s solo CD *Northern Sky* (1996) on BMG Records Austria.
Klausner, born in Linz, studied African and Brazilian music at Munich’s International School of Percussion in 1987. He later trained under Nippy Noya, Karl Potter, and attended a masterclass with Billy Cobham in Germany. In 1990, he first traveled to Havana to study at the Ignacio Cervantes music school. He performed in the Netherlands in 1994 with Dutch percussionist Martin Verdonk and Armando Peraza of Carlos Santana’s band. Klausner also collaborates with flamenco guitarist Stefan Brixel on European tours, leads his own project Judy Klausner & Friends, and holds regular percussion workshops.
Edge and Klausner first met after Edge’s move to Austria in the late 1980s, working together sporadically before deciding to record a CD using only percussion and vocals. Klausner laid down various South American rhythms at Linz’s CCP studio with engineer Claus Prellinger, and Edge later composed songs over those tracks, ensuring all melodies followed the tuning of the congas and percussion.
- formed
- 2008
- origin
- Linz, Austria
- genre
- Percussion and vocals
- members
- Andrew Edge, Josef 'Judy' Klausner
- notable_release
- First CD released in Austria, 2011
Lore & Background
Andrew Edge is a musician from Leeds, England. After playing in local bands, he moved to London in the late 1970s, and joined the Thompson Twins. After one year Edge left the group and joined Uropa Lula, who released three singles on Arista Records and later supported Big Country on a tour of Britain. Edge then joined Savage Progress, who supported the Thompson Twins on a tour of Britain in 1984, and in the same year embarked on a tour of Germany, Switzerland and Austria. Edge moved to Linz, Austria in the late 1980s, forming the band YOYO and signing a record contract with EMI records in Vienna. He later worked with Robert Ponger, former producer of Falco, for three years, using two songs from 12 demo songs for his solo CD Northern Sky (1996) on BMG records (Austria).
Josef 'Judy' Klausner was born in Linz, Austria, and in 1987 took classes in African and Brazilian music at the ISP in Munich, Germany. He later studied under Nippy Noya and Karl Potter, and participated in a masterclass with Billy Cobham. In 1990, he traveled to Havana, Cuba, and attended the Ignacio Cervantes music school. In 1994, he played a concert in the Netherlands with Martin Verdonk and Armando Peraza. Klausner also works with flamenco guitarist Stefan Brixel and his own formations, Judy Klausner & Friends, and holds regular percussion workshops.
Edge first met Klausner when he moved to Austria in the late 1980s. They worked sporadically together until deciding to record a CD featuring purely percussion instruments and vocals. Klausner recorded various South American rhythms at the CCP studio in Linz with engineer Claus Prellinger. Edge later composed songs over the basic tracks, with all melodies following the tuning of the congas and percussion.
Reader's Guide
Drumsing represents a distinctive approach to musical performance, stripping instrumentation down to only percussion and vocals. Formed in Linz, Austria, in 2008, the duo brought together the diverse backgrounds of English drummer Andrew Edge and Austrian percussionist Josef 'Judy' Klausner. Their creative process was notably constrained by the tuning of the congas and percussion, which dictated the melodies Edge composed over Klausner's recorded South American rhythms. This method resulted in a unique sound that highlights rhythmic complexity and vocal interplay. The duo's first CD, released in Austria in 2011 after two years of writing and recording, stands as a testament to their focused artistic vision. While Drumsing's output appears limited to this single release, the project encapsulates the fusion of Edge's extensive experience in British post-punk and pop groups with Klausner's deep study of African, Brazilian, and Cuban percussion traditions. Their work underscores the potential for minimal instrumentation to create rich musical textures, and serves as a niche but notable entry in the landscape of Austrian experimental music.
Did You Know?
- Drumsing was formed in Linz, Austria, in 2008.
- The duo uses only percussion and vocals, with no other musical instruments.
- Andrew Edge previously played with the Thompson Twins and Savage Progress.
- Josef Klausner studied under Nippy Noya and participated in a masterclass with Billy Cobham.
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